Introduction

Managing human resources effectively has become vital to organizations within the modern and fastpaced business environment, more so as the economy the world over converge into a synapse of globally connected and interdependent sectors aimed at preserving and creating knowledge1 rather than products and services alone. The noveltyinthemarkettodaydemandsinnovation2andtrust3morethanmerecomparativeanalysisofsalesandmarket share,andthehierarchyofthecentreandperipherymodelisevolvingintoadifferentparadigm. HumanResourcesspecialistsaremoreimportantinbusinessstrategiestodayforthisverychangeinmarketdynamics moresointhepresenteconomicsituationofaglobalrecessionanddownturnacrossindustriesandsectors.Thefocus hasturnedonHRDepartmentateveryorganizationthesurvivallinesarerunningdrierwitheverypassingweekatthe tradingmarketstheworldover,andtheaimisnotonlytoseethroughtherecession,butmoreimportantly4,toensure employees are still committed to the organization. HR development acts as the mentor5 to its employees guiding, trainingandeducatingtheminthewayoftheindustryandtheorganization.Welltrainedandcompetentemployees, who are able to showcase themselves and their organization to the customers in a more effective manner, help in increasingcustomersatisfactionandoverallclientele,byaddingcredibilityandreputationtothebusiness.EffectiveHR planning and development practices6 bring quality and loyal workers who are committed and passionate about the successoftheirorganization. GoogleInc.,the9yearoldtechnologyserviceproviderbasedinMountainView,California,wasvoted7thenumberone BestCompanytoWorkforinAmericaforthesecondyearinarowbyitsemployees.Itisthebiggest8brandnameinthe worldtodayabrandthatisbuiltuponaculturethatishighontrust,lowonpolitics,greatatsharingresourcesand sharingthewealth,andfullofmeaningandsignificance.However,besidestheusualandmuchpublicizedremuneration package and plush offices, deeper and more thoughtful set of factors have been identified and acknowledged by consultingfirmsandemployeesalikeonwhyitissuchanattractiveorganizationtoworkfor. Industry Headquarters CEO Founded TickerSymbol Website JobApplicants Training VoluntaryTurnover(FT) February18,2009 MediaandInternetServices MountainView,California Dr.EricSchmidt 1998 GOOG www.google.com 761,799 120hours/week 4.3%

JHDunnning;2000;Regions,Globalization,andKnowledgeBasedEconomy;136138; WCKim,RMauborgne;1999;SloanManagementReview;Strategy,Value,Innovation,andtheKnowledgeEconomy;4; 3 PSAdler;2003;Market,Hierarchy,andTrust:TheKnowledgeEconomyandtheFutureofCapitalism; 4 GEbadan,DWinstanley;1997;HumanResourceManagementJournalBlackwellSynergy;Downsizing,DelayeringandCareers Thesurvivorsperspective;7984; 5 ArnoldoC.Hax;1987;OxfordUniversityPress,NewYork;PlanningStrategiesThatWork; 6 AnnMirel;2008;DevelopmentandStrategiesforHumanResourceDevelopment;48; 7 Courtesy:GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc. 8 Courtesy:MillwardBrownOptimor;2008;Top100MostPowerfulBrands08;

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OrganizationalGoalandVision
The work culture and employee empowerment philosophy at Google was apparent from the day the company was launchedin1998.Thefounders,LarryPageandSergeyBrin,wantedtoestablishGoogleasacompanythatwastobe seenasacompanyrunbythegeeks.TheHRDepartment,initsalignmentwiththebusinessstrategyoftryingtoattract the best minds across the globe to work for Google, has since always aimed to become the strategic partner to the businessoperations.

BusinessStrategicModel
As an organization, Google and its employees take pride in being regarded as geeks. In fact, one of the banners that greets you as you enter Googles Toronto Officei reads proud to be geeks. How this very philosophy dictates their businessstrategycanbeunderstoodfromthefactthatLarryPageonceremarkedthatGooglewascomprisedofpeople withfrighteninglysinglemindedfocus.Googleofficesareseennotaslocationswherepeoplegotowork,butratheras dreamhousesforthesegeekstoretiretowhentheywanttocreatesomethinginnovativeandstateoftheart. Four years ago, the average search took about 3 seconds. Today, it is down to about 0.2 seconds. And since 0.2 is greaterthanzero,itsnotfastenough.AsmallstatementfromPeterNorvig,anengineeratGoogle,tellsthetaleofthe work culture and employee commitment at Google the employees dont need the next deadline or next project proposal to work on creating something, but rather an intrinsic9 challenge a challenge that could be driven by self benchmarks, or by peer influence, or simply, the quest for solving something. As a company, Google completely understandsthatsuchisthenatureofdevotedandcommittedgeeksandprovideseverythingthatispossibletokeep thesegeeksmotivatedtoworkonnovelandcreativepursuits.

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Understanding Googles business strategy needs a subtle understanding of how the soprejudiced geeks work and present themselves. For a media and technology service provider like Google, the competitors have always tried to downplaytheroleofGooglesHRdepartmentintheoverallsuccessoftheorganization.Thisisclearfromthescathing criticismfromSteveBallmer,CEOofMicrosoftIncii.,wherehehasrepeatedlyquestionedandchallengedthebusiness
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KeithH.Hammonds;2004;AGooglersAdmission:LifeamidSemantic,Visual,andTechnicalEsoterica;24
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strategyandmodelofGoogle.They'rereallyjustonebusiness,asearchandadvertisingbusiness.However,thisdoes notexplainhowGooglewasabletoreachthe$10billionrevenuemarkmuchquickerthanMicrosoft. The explanation, as Larry Page puts it in his official blog, comes from the intrinsic Googles vision Google wants its employeestobeascommittedtotechnologysolutionsandservicesasthefoundersthemselveswerewhentheywere busyconceptualizingthisveryvisioninthedormitoriesatStanfordUniversityduringtheircollegedays.Fromproviding everythingthattheemployeesneedforthemtofocusoncreativityandinnovation,tohelpingtheseemployeeshavethe rightinformationandtherightresourcesfortheirwork,Googlehasalwaysfocussedonthehumancapitalcreationand retention since becoming operational in September 1998. The business strategy for Google is tightly coupled and stronglyreflectedintheircompanysvisionstatement,nowknownasTheTenThings10becauseofthewayGooglewas abletoenvisage,andmoreimportantly,deliver,thisvision. Thisphilosophy11atGooglehasservedastheoperatingguidelinesfortheHumanResourceDepartmentthereinavery broad and yet amicable manner. It is clear from this philosophy that Google, when formed, was aimed at creating innovativeanduniquesolutionswhichwouldupholdthe brand equityandreputationofthe companynotbywho its employeeswere,andhowdidtheydressandbehave,butratherfromwhethertheproducttheylaunchedinthemarket coulddeliverwhatitpromisedornot. As a company, Google was founded and has succeeded on the shoulders of its innovative products and clutterfree presentation.Thestrategyhasbeentoprovidetheuseracompletelypreciseandtothepointcustomerexperience andtoaccept12shorttermlossesoverlongtermgoals.ThefactthatGoogleshomepagealwaysconsistsofexactly37 wordsiiiprovesthepoint. The informal structure of work setting, the focus on creativity across diverse areas of internet technology, and the performancedeliverypromisethatGoogleincorporatesinitsvisionistestifiedbythesuccess13ofitsfirstIPOlastyear. However,theinnovativeandnovelmanagementtechniques,theuniquedemographicsofworkforce,andthemarvelof webservicesthatGooglelauncheseverynowandthenarenotasdistinguishableandcleartoexternalobservers,more so froma nontechnology background. The rigorous accountability, the relentless attention to detail, and the cutting edgeideasarenotthesecretivecomponentsofitssuccess14anymore.However,thewaytheHRfunctionsandpolicies havealignedthemselveswiththebusinessmodelandvisionmakesGooglethemostexcitingyoungtechnologycompany toworkforandtodobusinesswith.

HRasaStrategicPartnerforBusiness
HR department at any organization has a unique challenge it has to ensure that the employees are motivated and committedtotheorganizationwithcompleteintegrityandhonesty.However,atthesametime,theHRdepartmenthas to ensure that the market dynamics are not adversely affected by the sheer volumes of investment involved in the process.Insomeways,HRdepartmentshouldactasaserviceproviderivfortheemployees,andtreatemployeesasits

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Foracompletelisting,visittheGooglescorporatewebpageathttp://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html MohitRanka;2007;GoogleDontBeEvil; 12 Courtesy:UrsHolzle,GoogleFellow;PeoplecometoGoogletosearchtheWeb,andthemainpurposeofthepageistomake surethatyou'renotdistractedfromthatsearch.Wedon'tshowpeoplethingsthattheyaren'tinterestedin,becauseinthelong term,thatwillkillyourbusiness. 13 KeithH.Hammonds;2008;TheIPOthatchangedEverything;5 14 KeithH.Hammonds;2007;HowGoogleGrows...andGrows...andGrows;

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customer15 base treat the employees the same way you would like them to treat their customers, and the whole paradigmofcustomersatisfactionanddeliverybecomeseasytoadoptandadapt. Thebusinessmodelandstrategyofnotmerelytrying,butactuallydeliveringthebestsolutionhasbeenabenchmarkof theworkcultureatGoogle.Theworkplacesandofficelocationsallovertheworldarebuiltoversprawlingspaceswhich provide the employees not only with every possible space for creativity and innovation, but also ensures that the employeesideasaredulyanduncompromisinglystudied,workedon,andacknowledged.

RecruitmentandSelection
RecruitmentatGoogleisthefirstandforemoststepintheoverallHRprocesses.Withthereputationandpromisethat GoogleholdsforthousandsoftechnologyprofessionalswhowanttomakeGoogletheirsecondhome,morethan1300 ResumesarereceivedeachdaybyGoogle.HiringtherightpeopleisakeyHRphilosophyatGooglethemedianageof employeesatGoogleis27years,makingittheyoungestworkforceacrosstheindustry.However,theretentionrate,and theturnoverdataatGoogleprovesthattheorganizationhasbeensuccessfully16abletoattract,retain,andmotivatethe most difficult crop of employees the Y generation cybergeneration professionals who are prone to changing their affiliationsquickerthantheychangetheirclothes. Google hosts many external events throughout the year which reflect a combination of their excellent recruiting practices and their awareness of the internal culture they want to maintain. They are explicitly seeking to attract the kindsofpeopletothecompanywhowillbesuccessfulintheiropen,collaborativeculture.

TrainingandDevelopment
Google employees are offered tremendous opportunities to learn and grow. Professional development opportunities offered to all employees include classes on individual and team presentation skills, content development, business writing,executivespeaking,deliveringfeedback,andmanagement/leadership.Freeforeignlanguagelessons,including French,Spanish,Japanese,andMandarinarealsosponsoredbyGoogle.GiventheprominenceofengineersatGoogle, particularattentionispaidtoprovidinguniquedevelopmentopportunitiesforthisgroup. AnEngineeringtraininggroup,engEDU,providesorientationandtrainingclasses,mentoring,careerdevelopment,and tutorialservicesallprogramsbuiltbyandforengineers.Googlehasalsoexpandeditsgloballearninganddevelopment teamduringthelastyearandiscreatingnewleadershipdevelopmentprogramstohelpdevelopandsupportGoogles futureleaders.Inasurvey,92%ofemployeesindicatedthattheyareprovidedT&Dtofurtherthemprofessionally,and 97%17indicatethattheyaregiventheresourcesandequipmenttodotheirjob. ItismandatoryforallemployeestoundergoT&Dsessionsforaminimumof120hours/year,whichisaboutthreetimes theindustryaverageinNorthAmericaof43hours/year.Thisshowstheamountofeffort,timeandmoneythatGoogle investsinitsemployeestokeepthemabreastoftheprofessionalandtechnologicaladvancements.

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AnuragGupta;2005;DesignEducation:TraditionandModernity;TreatingEmployeesasCustomers:AHumanResourceEquity;7 9; 16 Courtesy:GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.,Reporton100BestEmployersof20082008;reproducedunderCreative Commons; 17 Courtesy:GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.,Reporton100BestEmployersof20082008;reproducedunderCreative Commons;

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InnovationandCreativity
ThereisastrongcultureofinnovationandexperimentationatGooglewithengineersencouragedvtotake20%oftheir time to develop new product or service offerings, or to provide enhancements to current offerings. Innovation from insidethefirmisthenormformostengineeringbasedsoftwaredevelopmentcompanies.WhatisuniqueatGoogleis the support provided by the company, the collaboration among engineers working on each others projects, and the finalsetofresultsthatGoogleisabletoachievewiththecreativityandexpertiseofitsengineers.

SocialGood
GooglehastheinformalcorporatemottoDontbeEvil,whichremindsitsemployeesthatcommitmenttobeethicalis partandparcelofbeingaleaderatGoogle.99%oftheemployeesindicate18that,Managementishonestandethicalin itsbusinesspractices.ThestandardsofconductthatGoogleemployeesadheretoconcerninternalbusinesspractices (respectingeachother,protectingconfidentiality,protectingGooglesassets,etc),externalrelationswithcustomersand partners,andtheimpactonofGoogle'sworkonthelargersociety19.

CompensationStructure
Google stands out as being one of the most sought after and yet one of the most underpaying20 employers in the industry.However,theHRstrategyfitsperfectlywiththebusinessmodelandvisionatGooglewhereinemployeesare attracted not to the short term monetary returns from work, but rather to the support system that could help them createanything.SotheworkhivesatGooglehavedaycareandeldercarecentres,havespaandhairsalons,carwash andoilcheckfacilities,andvirtuallyeverythingthatatechnologyobsessedgeekwouldliketoworryleastabout,inform ofanallinclusiveliberal benefits package,but the actualtakeoutcash componentisnegligible.TheinnovativeStock OptionsystematGoogleensuresthatallemployeesgetcompensated21competitivelythankstotheremarkableequity growthofthecompany. So strong is the work culture and employee committed bent upon technology solutions rather than tangible compensationthatGooglebecamethefirstcompanywheretheBoardofDirectorsrequestedforareduction22intheir salariesandcompensationbecausetheyfelttheyweregettingpaidmoremoneythantheyneeded.Alltheemployees agreedonthesentiment,andin200506,theemployeesformallydemandedawagecutthemselves.Duringthesame period,theturnover23was1.43%. GooglePerksandBenefits UnlimitedSickLeave 27daysofpaidtimeoffafteroneyearofemployment Onsite Medical and dental facilities, oil change and car wash, courier, fitness center, banking center, free breakfast,lunchanddinneronadailybasis 18weeksofadditionalpaidtimeoffpostmaternityleave;newfatherscantake7weeksoff
Courtesy:TrustIndexSurvey,2008;GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.; ThislaststandardwasamotivatingfactorbehindtheGoogleSolarPanelProjectthelargestsolarpanelinstallationona corporatecampusintheUnitedStates.OnGoogleswebsitethenumberofkilowatthoursofpowergeneratedintheprevious24 hoursisposted,alongwithanindicationofitsequivalentintheuseofcommonhouseholdappliances. 20 Courtesy:GoogleEmployeeSalariesDataSurvey;mydanwei.com 21 JohnShinal;2004;SanFranciscoChronicle;GoogleIPOachieveditsmajorgoal:It'sallaboutraisingcashforthecompanyand rewardingemployees,earlyinvestors. 22 PaulR.LaMonica;2006;CNN;Googleleadersstickwith$1Salary; 23 Courtesy:TrustIndexSurvey,2006;GreatPlacetoWorkInstituteInc.;
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AnnualonsiteHealthFairofferingfreetestingservices,includingeyeexamsandcholesteroltesting;alsooffers freeflushots FuelEfficiencyVehicleIncentiveProgramprovidesa$5,000rebatetoemployeespurchasinghybridcars

BestPracticeExamples
Creatingagreatworkplacerequiresmorethanaspecificsetofprogramsandpracticesthereisnoonesetofperksand benefits that work for all. Best Companies develop their own unique cultures in their own ways, with the common featurebeingthatemployeesareabletosay"ItrustthepeopleIworkfor,haveprideinwhatIdo,andenjoythepeopleI workwith." Google institutes quarterly companywide strategy sessions with senior executives and separate sessions to assessthecompanysperformanceduringthepreviousquarter.Thesegatheringsareintendedbothtocelebrate theorganizationsachievementsoverthecourseofthequarterandtointroduceobjectivesforthenewquarter. Opportunities are provided at these sessions for employees to ask questions of senior leadership about the companysstrategicdirectionandperformance.Functionalteamssupplementvithisallhandssessionwiththeir owndepartmentspecificmeetingsledbyseniormembers. Googlerealizesthatnoteveryonefeelscomfortablespeakingupinapublicforum.Thatswhytheyconducta seriesofregularsurveystosolicitinputdirectlyfromemployeesonarangeoftopics.TheannualJobSatisfaction Survey,theEngineeringTeamsurvey,theSalesTeamSurveyandnumerousothersgatherdatafromemployees anonymously.Theythendrawonthosefindingstoimproveandshapetheirvariousprograms.Theypublishthe high level results for all employees to read on their internal website, and managers are expected to discuss resultswiththeirteams. Googlehasaninhousebloggingtoolthatallowsemployeestostarttheirownblogs.Employeescanusethese blogs to communicate personal stories, to provide work updates, or to share notes. These blogs can only be accessed internally, and these online forums are yet another way that Google encourages crossfunctional interactionacrossalllevelsoftheorganization. TGIFsareaninformalcompanywideweeklygettogetherwhichincludeapreviewoftheweektocome,arecap oftheweeksbigevents,andaquestionandanswersession.Whileeveryweekisalittledifferent,thehighlight of TGIF is always the Question and Answer section; no question is offlimits. Their team webcasts TGIFs to Googleofficesaroundtheglobeandarchivesthemforthosewhosetimezonesorschedulespreventthemfrom attendingthemeetinginperson.SomeofGooglefieldofficeshavetakentohostingtheirownTGIFs,withsenior leadersjoiningwhenpossibleeitherinpersonorviavideoconference.TheyencourageallGoogleemployees, regardlessoflocation,tosubmitquestionsforTGIFthroughemailiftheycant(oroptnotto)askthequestionin person.Otheremployeesvoteviionthesequestionssothatthemostrelevantworktheirwaytothetopofthe queue. In addition to more formal venues, Googles philosophy is reflected in their whiteboard culture. Employees start or add to whiteboard discussions on topics ranging from future Google products to life at Google. Youll findtheseoversizewhiteboardsviiialloverGoogle. Employees drive Googles product development process. They first release new products and features internallyix across the company, allowing employees to explore the product and provide feedback to the engineersandmanagerswhodevelopedit. Google recognizes that the first few months of a childs life are precious. They provide mothers whove been with Google for over 1 year with 18 weeks of paid bonding leave to spend with their newborn. Fathers are encouraged to spend 7 weeks of paid bonding leave with their newborn during his/her first year. To support
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employeeswhiletheybondwiththeirnewborns,Googleprovidesallemployeeswith100%oftheirnormaltake homepayduringmaternity/paternityleave. Googlewantsemployeestomaintainthebestpossiblework/lifebalance,sotheyofferflexibleworkhours,part timeworkoptions,andtelecommutingifthespecificjoballows.Agenerousvacationpolicyisprovidedanda vacation donation program is also used to provide an opportunity for employees to help out their fellow co workersduringatimeofneed.Theprogramallowsemployeestovoluntarilydonateaportionoftheiraccrued vacationhourstoanothereligibleemployeeincaseofanemergency. While they maintain more specialized learning programs in virtually every department, the Engineering group hastakentheideaofcontinuouslearningtonewheightsx.TheEngineeringtraininggroup,orengEDU,aimsto provideGoogleEngineerswithcompellingeducationalopportunitiesthroughouttheirlivesatGoogle,including everythingfromorientationclassestomentoringtocareerdevelopment. In2007,GooglekickedofftheirCandidates@Googlespeakerseries,inviting2008Presidentialcandidatesto stop by headquarters to speak with their employees. In addition to these political luminaries, Google hosts regular Tech Talks where speakers both internal and external present their insights on timely topics. Google's engineering tech talk program is a vital part of their engineering knowledge transfer efforts, and typifies Googles culture, which encourages engineers to air their ideas in an arena composed of highly technical colleagues,whochallengeeachothertopushtheboundariesoftheirthinking. InQ22007,GoogleannouncedanewequityprogramforemployeescalledTransferableStockOptions(TSOs) a firstofitskind program designed to help employees derive value24 from their options by selling instead of exercisingthem.Thegoalisquitesimple,saysDavidRolefson,GooglesDirectorofCompensationPrograms. Itistoincreasetheperceivedvalueoftheoptiontotheemployee. GooglemaintainsastrongCodeofConductthatitexpectsallemployeestoadhereto.Toensurethatemployees feelsafeinreportinganypotentialviolationofthepolicy,and/oraskingquestionsaboutanactionthatmightbe construedtobeaviolation,Googleenforcesastrict"noretaliation"policy.Retaliationforreportingapossible violation of the Code of Conduct, otherwise making a complaint regarding a possible violation of the Code or participating in any investigation of a possible violation of the Code is strictly prohibited. If a complaint of retaliationis substantiated,appropriatedisciplinary actionwillbetaken,up toandincluding termination.The CodeofConduct,andtheNoRetaliationPolicybothservetoupholdstrongethicalbehaviouratGoogle. Googleplacesahighvalueontheopinionsofemployees.Anyemployeecanapproachanymanagertodiscuss any issue. The official policy25 states: Google desires to maintain a friendly, cooperative atmosphere between employeesandalllevelsofmanagement.Consequently,theCompanyprovidesopportunitiesforyoutoexpress yourself without recrimination. If you have a problem with your Manager that, despite your mutual efforts, cannotberesolved,youmaydiscussthiswiththenexthigherlevelofmanagementorwithHumanResources. YoumayrequestthattheHumanResourcespersonoracoworkeraccompanyyouinanadvisorycapacityinany meeting. While Google prides itself on being an open organization where you can approach any member of management directly, we recommend you first attempt to resolve the issue through your Manager or Human Resources.Ifnotsatisfied,youmaythencontinuetheprocesswiththesuccessivelevelsuptotheCEO.Concerns, conflictsandcomplaintswillbecarefullyconsideredandfacilitatedpromptly.

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JohnShinal;2004;SanFranciscoChronicles;GoogleIPOachieveditsmajorgoal:Itsallaboutraisingcashforthecompanyand rewardingemployeesearly;22 25 Courtesy:GoogleCorpWebsite;2008GoogleInc.;

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 Google encourages employees to volunteer by alerting new Google employees to volunteer opportunities on theirfirstdayatorientation.OneprogramthatsfrequentlyhighlightedisGoogleGrantsxi,whichdonatesfree advertisingservicestoselectnonprofitorganizations. Googlehasinitiatedanumberofprograms26todotheirparttoreducegreenhousegasemissions,toimprove energyefficiency,andtosupportcleanenergysources.In2007,theyswitchedonthesolarpanelinstallationxiiat its headquarters. Moreover, the companys benefits package includes a significant incentive for employees to purchasepluginhybridcars. Eventssuchasseminars,gettogethers,andconferencesatGooglearethemedwithcolourandcreativityand includetheinspirationandimaginationofeveryengagedemployee.Thisallowsalltheemployeestoattacha senseofbelongingtotheworkplaceaswellastotheevent. Overtheyears,Googlehasnurturedaworkculturewhereemployeesaretobequirky27andalittleirreverent. Worldwidethemedxiiispecialdayshelpfostertheirsenseofcommunityandfun. ToroundouttheirfirstweekasGoogleemployees,newemployeesarerecognizedatTGIF,Googlesallhands meetingheldeveryFridayafternoon.Sittinginareservedsectionatthefrontoftheroom,theywearNoogler hats(brightlycolouredpropellerbeaniesbearingthewordNoogler)andplaquesaroundtheirneckdisplaying fun personal trivia of their choosing. At the beginning of the TGIF program, Google founders Larry Page and SergeyBrinleadaroundofapplausetowelcomethenewfolksastheirnamesareprojectedonalargescreen. ForNooglers,thisTGIFrepresentsoneoftheirfirstchancestoexperiencetheteamspiritofGoogle.

HRStrategyinfluencingBusinessStrategy:Analternateview
ThefactthatGoogleprovidesa20%offtimetoemployeesfortheircreativepursuitsisanHRpracticethathasreaped themrichrewards.However,thebusinessimplicationsofsuchrewardsareverylimitedxivascomparedtotheirflagship searchengineandonlineadvertisingservices.Notwithstanding,theHRdepartmentandtheexecutivesstillcontinueto encourage employees for investing effort and time into such projects the basic idea is that the employees remain motivatedandcommittedtoinnovationandnovelty.Theemployeesgetadayeveryweekwheretheycanworkontheir own, and on the rest of the work week, get back to their official job description of writing complex algorithm and semantic programs for their search engine and Adwords services. The recruitment, on its part, becomes much more diversewithmoreandmoretalentedmindslookingtoworkforacompanywhichwouldencourageandpaythemfor tryingtobuildupatoolwhichmayormaynotcomeoutright.Thisisaverypeculiarcaseofabusinessstrategybeingan outputofadeliberate28HRstrategy.

TheChallengeofRecession
February18,2009 RecessionposestheuniquechallengetotheHRdepartment.Googleasanorganizationisbetterequippedtohandlethe recession than most of its competitors simply because the employee satisfaction and commitment at Google is seen much beyond the compensation structure and promotion race voluntary turnover at Google is much less than the industryaverage,andlayoffsthathaveoccurredduringthecurrentandlastquarterhaveonlyaffectedthecontractual part time workers. Moreover, Google is expectedxv to release a host of products over the next 2 quarters, and has already invested millions of dollars into acquiring the necessary hardware and satellite systems indicating the confidenceGooglehasintherelativeimmunityofitsbusinessmodeltorecession.
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BradStone;2007;NewYorkTimes;GooglesNextFrontier:RenewableEnergy; BenElgin;2004;BusinessWeek;Google:WhizKidsorNaughtyBoys? 28 BrunoGiussani;2006;Googlenonsearch:morebuzzthanhits,butitkeepsemployeeshappy;

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AdditionalReading
TomPeters;1994;TheTomPetersSeminar:CrazyTimesCallForCrazyOrganizations;Vintage9780679754930;5479;
GooglerecentlymovedtoacustombuiltofficespaceoverlookingDundasSquarefromthesixthflooroftheTorontoLifeSquare Complex,whichisalsothecompanysCanadianheadquarters.Someofthepicturescanbemadeavailableonrequest. ii MicrosoftInc.haslongbeenseenasthebiggestcompetitorofGoogleinthefieldofmediatechnologyservicessuchasinternet searchengine,emailservices,richmediabrowsers,bloggingandwebmastertools,VoIPtoolsandmessengers,andrevenue generationmodels.EventhoughMicrosofthasalwaysdeniedadirectthreatfromGooglesinceMicrosofthasinterestsinalotof sectorsandmarketslikeOperatingSystems,desktopsoftware,offlinetechnologysolutions,etc.,theshareofMicrosoftinthe competitivelinewithGooglehasbeenrapidlydecreasingovertime.(Source:StephenWellman;2007;TheInformationWeek;Jan 25,2007;IsMicrosoftsImpactontheEconomybiggerthanGoogles?;) iii 37wordsrequireexactly2bytesofdatatobetransferredacrossanetwork.Anylessnumberofwordswouldwastethedata packetswhichareusuallytransferredinchunksof2bytesovertheinternetviaTCP/IP.Anygreaternumberofwordswouldrequire anotherdatapackettobetransferred,whichwouldincreasethedatatransmissioncostsattheusersend.Hence,Googlehasalways keptitshomepagetobekeptstrictlyto2bytesofdata,eventhoughitcanusethehomepagetodisplayalotofrevenuegenerating advertisementslikeitstraditionalcompetitorslikeMicrosoftandYahoo!do. iv TheauthorwroteapaperonHumanResourcesfunctions,andhowHRprofessionalsshouldconsiderandvaluetheemployeesjust astheywouldexpecttheemployeestotreattheorganizationscustomers.Thepaperwaspresentedandpublishedintheannual chapterofInternationalDesignConferenceatNationalInstituteofDesign,Ahmedabad,IndiainMarch2005.Thecompletetextof thepaperisincludedintheAnnualDesignPublicationof2007andispartofthecoursecontentatvariousDesigninstitutesacross theworld,mostnotablyPolitecnicodiMilano,Italy,andNationalInstituteofDesign,India.Referencestothepapermayalsobe foundinpublicationsofAnthroTechSociety. v Someoftheresultsofthis20%timecanbeseeninthebetaofferingsprovidedtothepublicattheGoogleLabswebsite (labs.google.com)whichshowcasesexperimentsstillbeingevaluatedandthegraduatesproductsandservicesdevelopedinside Googlethatarenowpartoftheircurrentofferings.SomeofGooglesnewerserviceslikeOrkut,Gmail,AdsenseandGoogleNews haveoriginatedinsuchindependentendeavours.MarissaMayer,VicePresidentatGoogle,mentionedinaspeechatStanford UniversitythatmorethanhalfofGooglesnewproductlaunchesoriginatedfromthe20%time.Thecompletevideoisavailableat http://stanfordonline.stanford.edu/courses/msande472/060517msande472300.asx vi Forexample,theEngineeringTeamholdsaquarterlyAllHandsMeetingledbytheSeniorVicePresidentofEngineering.The EngineeringAllHandsspeakstoGooglescorephilosophythatemployeesprefertohearcompanynewsinperson,anddirectlyfrom theirleaders,ratherthanfromananonymouscascadedemailchain. vii TheprocessofvotingisakintotheBusinessphilosophyofdemocraticsystem,whichisalsomentionedinTheTenThings. viii Inadditiontothewhiteboards,employeescanfindsuggestionboxesthroughouttheoffice,wheretheyrefreetoenteranysort ofsuggestionfromanewdrinktheywouldlikeavailabletotheirdismayoverthecontinueduseofdisposabledishes. ix Inaddition,theyhaveaprogramcalledtheGoogleometerwhichallowspeopletopostideasforchangesandimprovementsat thecompany.Employeescanthenvoteonwhethertheideaisgoodorbadwhichwillmovethesuggestionupthepage. x AgreatexampleistheCodelabtutorialseries,whicharecontinuallyupdatedonlinemodulesdesignedtohelpengineersgetupto speedonnewGoogletechnologies.Theyhavebroadenedanddeepenedtheirfocusonlearningthroughoutthelastyear.They expandedtheirlearninganddevelopmentmanagementteamworldwide.Moreover,theyhiredanewdirectorwhollbeworkingto createGoogleUniversity,acentralizedlearningorganizationdesignedtocoordinatethenumerousofferings,ensurequality,and, overthenextcoupleofyears,expandtherangeofeducationalprogramsoffered. xi GoogleGrantsisaunique,inkindadvertisingprogram,which,byharnessingthepowerofGooglesflagshipadvertisingproduct, GoogleAdwords,enablesnonprofitstobetterengagetheirconstituentsonline.GoogleGrantshasawardedAdWordsadvertisingto hundredsofnonprofitgroupswhosemissionsrangefromanimalwelfaretoliteracy,fromsupportinghomelesschildrento promotingHIVeducation. xii At1.6megawatts(anoutputcapableofpoweringapproximately1,000Californiahomes)Googlesisthelargestsolarinstallation onanycorporatesiteintheworld. xiii ThisisinaccordancewithGooglesbusinessstrategyofconnectingwithvariouscommunitiesacrosstheborder.Everynowand then,Googleshomepageontheinternethasaspeciallogoandthemebasedonsomesignificantevent,date,season,orfestival. GooglesproductofiGoogleandGmail!Themesarealsobasedonthesameprinciple. xiv RecentproductslikeOrkut,GMail,GoogleNews,etc.donotcontributemorethan1%combinedtoGooglesrevenues.99%of revenuesarestillgeneratedthroughonlineadvertisements. xv GooglereleaseditslatestversionofGoogleEarthwhileincludesunderwaterimageryinearly2009.
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